4 IDF soldiers killed, 5 wounded in explosion in Gaza

Four Israeli soldiers were killed and five others wounded on June 6 morning when a booby-trapped building collapsed on them during a ground operation in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The deceased included Sergeant Major (Res.) Chen Gross, 33, from Gan Yoshiya, a reservist in the Maglan Unit of the Commando Brigade, and Staff Sergeant Yoav Raver, 19, from Sde Warburg, a combat engineer in the elite Yahalom Unit. The names of the other two soldiers killed have yet to be released.

Among the five wounded were a seriously injured reserve officer from the Maglan Unit and four others with moderate injuries. The IDF said the soldiers were clearing a building suspected of containing Hamas tunnel infrastructure when the explosion occurred, causing the structure to collapse.

The building, located in the Bani Suheila neighbourhood near the Israeli border, was reportedly fortified and had been the target of Israeli forces previously. An initial IDF probe indicated the explosion was the result of an extensive booby trap planted by militants.

The military has launched a formal investigation into the incident, which it says highlights the growing risk of structural instability in buildings damaged during repeated raids over the past year and a half. This week’s deaths bring the Israeli military’s death toll in Gaza to eight in seven days – the highest weekly figure since early January. A total of 866 Israeli troops have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023.

IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin addressed the tragedy at a press briefing. “Sometimes, there is no choice but to enter structures to check for tunnels. We take many precautions, but we will examine this incident carefully and draw lessons,” he said. He confirmed that IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir had convened senior officers at the Southern Command following the fatal blast.

The IDF stated that the operation, conducted by the Maglan and Yahalom units, was intended to establish a permanent hold on territory and destroy Hamas infrastructure before doing so.  The soldiers' deaths came as Palestinian officials reported at least 38 fatalities across Gaza from Israeli strikes on June 6. The attacks coincided with Eid al-Adha, marking the second consecutive year that Palestinians observed the festival under bombardment.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences about the death of the soldiers, calling it a “sad and difficult day”. He reiterated that the campaign would continue until Hamas is defeated and all hostages are returned. “Our four fighters gave their lives for our security,” he said. “The people of Israel embrace the families in their grief.”

Hamas, meanwhile, issued a defiant statement. A spokesman for its military wing, Hudhaifa Kahlout, also known as Abu Obeida, declared that fighters would continue to strike Israeli forces and warned the Israeli public to pressure their leaders to end what he termed a “war of extermination”.

Despite Netanyahu’s rhetoric, a new poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute suggested widespread public scepticism. Among the 751 respondents, just 37 per cent believed the military operation would lead to the release of hostages, and only 38.5 per cent thought it would succeed in toppling Hamas. Even within Netanyahu’s Likud voter base, confidence was low, with only 27 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively, expecting those goals to be met.

The growing pressure on Israel’s military also brings to the fore the contentious issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription. Defrin described it as an “operational necessity”, revealing that the army is short by approximately 10,000 soldiers, including 6,000 in combat roles. A wave of call-up notices is expected in the next draft.

Ultra-Orthodox parties have warned that they will bring down Netanyahu’s coalition if military exemptions are not enshrined in law. But, public sentiment has shifted against the exemptions due to the burden placed on reservists and their families. Of 18,000 conscription notices sent to ultra-Orthodox individuals earlier this year, only 232 were accepted, a military official recently told parliament.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog reflected on the losses, saying, “The price of war is extremely heavy. This is a time of great sorrow, but also of great commitment – to stand behind our heroic fighters, to embrace the bereaved families, and to ensure that their names and courage are never forgotten.”